Generation "X": The Development of a Generational Identity on Social Media

• In Event: Poster Session: Current and Classical Topics in Political Psychology & State Politics and Policy
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Current and Classical Topics in Political Psychology

Abstract

While social identities are often studied in the field of political psychology, one area left largely ignored is the social category of age. Focusing on generation as a social category (e.g., Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z), I contend that generations have become social identities in recent years. I provide data from various newspapers that illustrates that generations have been covered in the news at increasing rates in recent years. One arena in which we can observe the development of these political groups is on the social media site X (formerly known as Twitter). I investigate how people are engaging with generational identities in our interconnected world. In this paper, I use data provided by X's API to perform a textual analysis on users' tweets. I hypothesize that tweets discussing generational identities will largely use a negative tone and language, indicating that generations as identities are becoming increasingly popularized and polarized. As generational identities become further engrained in American society, it is important for researchers to stay vigilant about the types of discussions that the masses are having. It may take one political entrepreneur to activate generations as identities for these groups to become politically consequential and divisive.

Author

• Chase Allen Privett, Morningside University